H.I.G. Europe Portfolio Company Green Building Group Expands with Acquisition of Lumar

The Green Building Group takes the next step on its way to becoming a European market leader in environmentally friendly construction

LONDON, GRAZ & MARIBOR - February 6, 2012 - The Green Building Group GmbH (“Green Building Group“), an H.I.G. Europe portfolio company headquartered in Graz, Austria, announced today that it has acquired a majority stake in Lumar IG d.o.o. (“Lumar”), the leading Slovenian manufacturer of prefabricated houses. As part of the transaction, Lumar’s founding owners, the Lukic family, have taken a stake in Green Building Group. Lumar will continue to manufacture from its highly efficient site in Maribor and will maintain its well-known brand under the umbrella of Green Building Group.

The Green Building Group was founded in August 2011 with the acquisitions of the Hanlo Group and HAG. The acquisition of Lumar represents a key step in its strategy to become a leader in environmentally friendly construction through both organic growth and further acquisitions. Lumar complements the Green Building Group with its premium products and strong presence in Slovenia and Italy. Lumar’s founder Milan Lukic and his son Marko Lukic, the current CEO, will take charge of the Green Building Group’s operations in Southern Europe. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Lumar, headquartered in Maribor, is a market leader in Slovenia. The company also has a strong presence in Italy with its brand Lumar Biohaus. In addition to family homes, Lumar has significant experience with commercial projects, including schools, and has a well-established reputation for high quality and architectural sophistication. Dr. Wolfgang Marka, CEO of Green Building Group, will work closely with Milan and Marko Lukic to integrate Lumar into the group and identify synergies.

As part of the acquisition, the Green Building Group gains a strong Austrian financing partner with international experience - BAWAG P.S.K.. In addition to providing acquisition financing for Lumar, BAWAG has refinanced the entire Green Building Group’s debt and will support the group in its organic growth as well as in future acquisitions.

“Lumar is an ideal addition to the Green Building Group and Milan and Marko Lukic are a highly experienced management team. I look forward to working with them to grow our business in Southern Europe,” said Dr. Marka. Milan Lukic added: “The integration of Lumar into Green Building Group is an exciting opportunity to broaden the company’s geographic reach and accelerate its growth with a strong partner.”

“The acquisition of Lumar is an important step in our buy-and-build strategy to consolidate environmentally friendly prefabricated housing companies under the umbrella of the Green Building Group. Lumar has an excellent reputation and expands the Green Building Group’s product portfolio. We are also pleased to have brought on board a highly supportive and knowledgeable financing partner with BAWAG”, said Thomas Scriven, Principal at H.I.G. and member of the Green Building Group’s board of directors.About Lumar
Lumar is a market-leading provider of energy-efficient prefabricated houses in Slovenia. The Company’s headquarters and production are in Maribor, with international distribution outlets in Italy and France. Lumar markets its houses under the Lumar and Lumar Biohaus brands. Lumar has a strong track record in commercial projects, including schools, and stands for exceptional quality and architectural sophistication. www.lumar.si

About Green Building Group
The Green Building Group was established with the aim of consolidating European manufacturers of environmentally friendly prefabricated houses. In August 2011, Green Building Group took the first step in this strategy, acquiring the Hanlo Group and HAG. Green Building Group is headquartered in Graz, Austria, with two production sites in Germany, in Freiwalde and Ziesar, and one in Austria in Piesting. With a turnover in excess of €70 million, Green Building Group is a market leader in prefabricated construction in the German-speaking region. http://www.greenbuildinggroup.eu/

About H.I.G. Capital
H.I.G. Capital is a leading global private equity investment firm with more than €8 billion of equity capital under management. Based in Miami, and with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, and San Francisco in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Paris and Rio de Janeiro, H.I.G. specialises in providing capital to small and medium-sized companies with attractive growth potential. H.I.G. invests in management-led buyouts and recapitalizations of profitable and well-managed manufacturing or service businesses. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 200 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 50 companies with combined revenues in excess of €6 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.